Sign of the Moon/Chapter 8
Chapter description :Lionblaze emerges from some thorns, trotting toward an old Thunderpath. He is leading a hunting patrol, consisting of Leafpool, Birchfall, and Cinderheart. Ragged patches of blue sky overhead appear through the trees, and a breeze sweeps over the ThunderClan warriors. The scent of prey washes Lionblaze's face, but isn't able to concentrate properly. The golden tom is still stunned on Jayfeather's speedy departure, but along with it, came anger. Anger that he wasn't able to follow his brother. Birchfall bounds up to his side, commenting about the journey. :Lionblaze grunts, stating Jayfeather had a sign, since he is a medicine cat. His light brown Clanmate goes on, expressing how much he'd have liked to go back to the the mountains, because of the great journey. Cinderheart joins the conversation, telling Lionblaze and Birchfall of how much she'll like to go there too, like everyone else. Birchfall carries on, eyes clouded, mentioning the wind, and the birds. Lionblaze splits up the patrol, and puts Birchfall with Leafpool. Meanwhile, he selects himself to hunt with Cinderheart. :The golden tabby feels a stab of sadness, imagining himself with Cinderheart for the rest of his life, rather than a patrol. Birchfall leads Leafpool towards the lake, and he heads off into the woods. Cinderheart mentions how worried he must be for Jayfeather, and the two warriors pause, at the edge of the pines. The gray she-cat tries reassuring Lionblaze, saying his brother cannot die, for he's too important. The big tom refuses to believe the prophecy, or that Jayfeather is different, and argues with such. :Cinderheart protests, declaring neither of them are ordinary, angering Lionblaze. He digs his claws into the soil, his muscles tensing, and snaps at her, challenging the gray tabby on the prophecy. When she replies, her voice is excited, and full of pride, which convinces Lionblaze that she regrets nothing between her and him. He asks if she cares, and the excitement fades, to be replaced with sorrow. Cinderheart tells him how much she wishes the prophecy wasn't for him, and cuts him off when he tries speaking. She says he is similar to a medicine cat, for he must care for ThunderClan as an equal, and not worry about kits or a mate. :Lionblaze retorts back again, and Cinderheart's tail stretches out to his shoulder. Then, she draws it away, and turns away. She returns back to hunting, and the golden-brown tom gazes after her helplessly. His heart is filled with what he wants to say, but nothing comes out. And his Clanmate is already advancing on a blackbird, creeping up on it with careful paw steps. Stifling a sigh, Lionblaze goes to join her, working his way around the bird. The blackbird is too fixated on moss it's trying to grab, completely unaware of its timely demise. The golden tom raises his voice, erupting in a yowl, and it flutters into the air, right into Cinderheart, who kills it with a bite. :However, Lionblaze pads over, and sees his Clanmate stroking the dead creature. She smooths the feathers, and points out the moss in the blackbird's beak, interpreting it as moss for a nest. The tabby whispers about having her own mate and kits, but she'll never get the joy. Lionblaze's heart is wrenched as he responds that she'll get another cat to love. Cinderheart spins around, flame in her blue gaze, spitting at him, before burying the fresh-kill, and haring off. Lionblaze looks after the she-cat, baffled, before movement catches his attention. :The former medicine cat, Leafpool, and his mother, is padding toward the big golden warrior. He wonders how much she heard, and when the brown she-cat asks about him, he isn't able to reawaken his grudge against her. Lionblaze confesses about problems with Cinderheart, and is relieved when his mother doesn't force him to elaborate. Leafpool suggests of hunting at the lake, and he's briefly surprised, before agreeing. They head through undergrowth, side-by-side, until the watery tang grows stronger admist the air. Lionblaze talks about Cinderheart believing in his different destiny, admitting he doesn't understand her. :Leafpool blinks sympathetically at her son, telling him that she believes Cinderheart did, and does, love him. He claws, frustrated, at a bramble tendril, asking why she's making it difficult, but neither cat has an answer. For a while, the two cats pad together in silence, but when they reach a narrow track, the light brown she-cat stops, jaws parted. Lionblaze thinks she detects prey, before his mother darts to the edge of a bramble thicket, making noise. Then, Leafpool reveals coltsfoot flowers, and three of them. They sit among dead leaves, and she exclaims about bringing them to Mousefur, an elder, for her cough. Lionblaze observes Leafpool nipping the stems, and asks if she misses being a medicine cat. The white-pawed tabby admits she does every day, her voice a murmur, and he goes on about her destiny, since StarClan shouldn't have allowed her and Crowfeather to be together. :Leafpool bows her head, talking about destinies not being a blind followed path. She pauses, then adds about her knowing what to do, which is why she returned home. She tells Lionblaze that she trusts him to do the right thing, and to listen to his heart, for it is where his true destiny really lies. Characters Major *Cinderheart *Leafpool }} Minor }} Mentioned *Crowfeather *Jayfeather }} Notes and references Category:Chapter subpages Category:Sign of the Moon Category:Omen of the Stars arc